Police rescue trapped 'couple', fire in air to disperse mob

Police fired in the air to disperse a mob to rescue a man and a young woman, who were held by villagers for having a relationship against tribal customs at Landupada village of West Singhbhum district this evening.
Two policemen got injured in brickbatting, a senior police officer said.
A police team led by the Karaikela police station officer-in-charge, B Tigga rushed to the village on being informed that the villagers were parading a man and a woman, who were cousins by relation and belonged to same gotra (sect), and planning to set them on fire for their relationship, the officer said.

The woman was six months' pregnant but the villagers were not ready to accept their relationship, Superintendent of Police, Michael Raj S said.
The police team, however, could finally rescue the duo and brought them to the police station, he said.
On reaching the police station, Michael Raj said police were informed that the villagers intended to harm the parents and relatives of the boy and had to rush again to rescue the man's kins.

The villagers gheraoed the policemen and started pelting stones demanding to hand over the man and the woman, he said adding two policemen have sustained head injuries in the brick-batting.

The Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Chakradharpur), Subodh Jaiswal also rushed with adequate police force to the spot but he too was greeted with brick-bats.
As all attempt to pacify the villagers went in vain, the policemen fired two rounds in the air to disperse the mob.
Raj said the situation was well under control.
Unconfirmed reports said five policemen including a Deputy SP sustained injuries in the brick-batting by villagers.
Earlier, the villagers had convened a panchayat and decided to burn alive both the man and the woman for their illicit relation as such relationship in same 'gotra' was unacceptable, locals told the police.